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Handmade Movement

I had the pleasure of hitting up one of the best open markets in my area, the SOWA Open Market in South Boston, which has an amazing selection of farmer’s market items, food trucks, antiques, handmade goodies and some randomy fashion stuff (YAY!). We had a great time, besides how friggin’ hot it was. If any of you have the chance to buy from markets, I highly recommend it. There is such a great sense of community as well as such a great selection of super fun stuff. Some of my favorites goods are below. (Pssst. I tried not to make this too image heavy)

Soooooooo today is my blog’s one year anniversary! HIP HIP HOORAY! Can you believe it? I stuck with this for one year and have done my darnedest to make it better, improve and forge ahead with my ever changing creative goals… I am just so happy to be blessed with people who support me in my endeavors and with their encouragement, I make it through the blah days!

This blog started as a diary of sorts that basically only the man friend read but as I started to become more involved with the creative community, I started to make some friends; and seeing comments on posts from people you don’t know in real life? AWESOME! Over the past year, I have made “friends” from all over the US and some even overseas (the UK and Australia!). I am happy to say that Prim and Propah had over 10,000 views in the past year which, in my humble opinion, is nothing to sneeze at.

So anyways, while I am at home celebrating this achievement with the manfriend, pup and kitterface (possibly dancing and/ or drinking wine), I thought I would let all my new friends share in the celebration as well! What do people love more than a giveaway? Wellp, a BIG giveaway. Over the past year, I have discovered so many amaaaazing and talented ladies (see sidebar where links are of my favorites thus far)… and four of my faves jumped at the chance to make a one of a kind item in honor of my blogiversary! AWESOME, RIGHT? Sooooooo, wanna check out what you can win? One lucky winner will get all 4 of the following super special handmade items….Tadaaaaaaa!

Gale at Wichser Studio’s amazing contribution…everything Gale does is truly original… I should know, I only own like 37 pieces of hers:

Use the code “BLOGPARTY” at Wichser Studio checkout through June and get free domestic shipping!

My girl Erin of Petal and Pink whipped up these darlings… she has a romantical way about her, making her jewelry some of my faves. These beauties? Inspired by The Great Gatsby:

Use the code “PrimPropah” at Petal and Pink checkout through June and get free domestic shipping!

Stephanie of Earth Mama Artistry shares a love of peacocks (hence the creation below), cute things and Massachusetts… her items are surely some of the more adorable I have seen:

Use code PrimandPropah in the Creative Stash shop and get 15% off your puchase!

Ok so you wanna know how to enter? One mandatory entry: Leave a comment with your favorite way to celebrate your achievements and happy stuff. Like if I were entering, I would leave a comment below that said “I like to celebrate blogiversaries with dancing, wine and giveaways!” Make sense? Good!

You can also enter in any one of many other ways (mix and max if you so choose… like a salad bar!). Leave a separate comment for each of the following you do. If you already follow? Leave a comment too!

Tweet about this giveaway or Post about this giveaway on Facebook! (link would be lovely in the comment)

Sooooo there’s tons of ways to enter and believe me when I say I wish I could keep this stuff all to myself! Oh and be sure to tell you friends ’cause chances are we would be good friends too! MUAH XOXO and Happy Blogiversary to me!

Giveaway runs from Monday 06/06/11 until Sunday 06/19/11 (at midnight). I will be choosing a winner with Random.Org so as to be totally fair.Go fairness!

Yesterday, Urban Outfitters got its @$$ handed to them by the online creative/ artsy/ handmade community. You see, Urban Outfitters has been known to take ideas from independent artists and designers, mass produce them, then sell them back to their target audience, creative types. Booo Hssssss Urban Outfitters, Boooo Hsssss. (Note: Forever 21 is guilty of stealing ideas and are sometimes more blatant about it). Anyway, yesterday the social media sites were a flutter with angry bees (bees being artistic types who hate to see their ideas stolen)… see this great blog post from My Aim is True explaining how her tweet took flight and helped lay the smack down on a stealing creep.

I just thought I would post a little blurb about how great I think the online crafting/handmade/art community is. People really banded together on this one and seemingly made a difference. It may not seem like much but look at all that happened in one day!

*At the center of this commotion is an Etsy seller, Truche, (much like my crafty friends) who is passionate about her art. I hope that this attention boosts her sales and makes her all the more successful!

I am currently reading/ working my way through Tina Sparkles’ Little Green Dresses and as I read along, I am trying to hone my sewing by pattern skills because it is important in constructing garments to understand what the heck is going on! I have made the mistake in the past of starting a project that is far too advanced for me and then I never finish… Sooooo I bought some more Amanda-friendly patterns and have been working diligently on improving my mad apparel making skills. So my goal this year is to make one dress from each of 5 patterns that I bought on a whim. I will follow the directions and there will be no shortcuts (unless of course they are necessary)!

So I give you my most recent construction of pure sewing genius 😉 I introduce you to Pattern #1, Vogue 8631, Easy Misses Dress.

I really wanted to give you good pictures but the man took the camera to San Francisco with him and I was chomping at the bit to show you my craftswomanship… so I took a picture with my phone. Not the best quality but still it’s something! I swear to you, the in person view is much more stellar! 😉

Other patterns that I plan to make over the course of the next year? I am really excited to improve my mad sewing skills and also make clothes that other people aren’t wearing! win-win. The following four patterns range from easy to average so I have definitely stayed in my range. They are in my arsenal and and awaiting being made.

So I recently discovered Gale at Wichser Studio and let me tell you that I am SO.EXCITED! Her jewelry has got a dash of vintage, a smidge of romance and a whole lotta character! I love handmade jewelry that is unlike anything you could purchase in a normal, run of the mill kinda store… and Gale designs just that! Take a look at some of my favorites from her Etsy shop. They are sure to please ❤ Let me know what you think!

Hey and you know what? Gale is doing a giveaway ending on February 4th, so head on over and enter before it’s too late! Gotta love a good giveaway!

I recently entered a giveaway at Olivia Carter’s For Me blog (which adorable or check her out on twitter @oliviakcarter) and was so elated when I won the Flower Petal necklaceby Sea Lillie. The reason that I am busting out this blog post is because I just received my necklace in the mail yesterday… and I.AM.IN.LOVE. This necklace is the prettiest most dainty-ish little necklace that I have ever put on. The picture does not even do it justice.

Anyways, the girls at Sea Lillie are just the lovliest and I surely intend on going back over for this gorgeous little creature (see below). My love of elephants and charitable goodness combines in the adorable Hope Necklace. 100% of the profit from this sale will be donated to The Give Life Project, an initiative aimed at giving help, giving hope and giving Life to those who are in desperate need in Zambia, Africa. Please visit their website for more information: http://www.givelifeproject.com

I have found a new favorite in Sea Lillieand am hoping you will check them out as well. I love to share when I have found a talent (well that is new to me).

So yesterday, I was perusing my facebook and one of my friends through Crafting posted the following as a status:

Pay it Forward 2011: I promise to send something handmade to the first 5 people who leave a comment here. They must in turn post this and send something they make to the first 5 people who comment on their status. *The rules are that it must be handmade by you and it must be sent to your 5 people sometime in 2011.

Ummmm, Hello genius! What better way to share handmade loving than through a handmade loving chain letter/package of sorts! I am super excited because I have already connected with new people and have the opportunity to share some of my “test subjects” with others, mayhaps getting their opinions? A Prim & Propah survey? My mind is spinning wildly out of control (OK, that was a tad dramatic).

I also thought about how I can take this idea and mold it into something bigger and bring in more of the handmade community; sort of like let’s trade our goods then blog about how special they made us feel… Eh, it’s still a rough idea but I really think I might be on to something really cool. I will take my time and mold the idea, then see who is on board!

First things first though? Paying it Forward a la Handmade. Can’t wait to blog about the experience once I have created some treats for my buds! Hot Dog!

PS. OK, I have to leave you with this which isn’t necessarily in conjunction with my post topic but is more so something I should look to on a daily basis. Ha. Love it. Truth.